Scoutmaster Minute

“The Scoutmaster teaches boys to play the game by doing so himself.”

- Robert Baden-Powell

June 17, 2016

Thanks to everyone who brought treats and helped out last night. It was a fun way to wrap up another outstanding Scout season of camping trips and hikes to new places, winter fun upstate, exploring Boston's Freedom Trail, whitewater rafting, as well as busy weekly Troop meetings working on skills and ranks, competing between Patrols, holding an Interfaith Worship Service, great guest speakers and several game shows!

But, there's plenty ahead as several Scouts actively work towards their Eagle Rank, we gear up for summer camp at Onteora Scout Reservation and Camp Aquehonga for merit badges and fun, and hit the trail to high adventure in Philmont Scout Ranch in NM.

Many thanks to our awesome Scouts, dedicated leaders and supporting parents for a wonderful year. And BULLY! to our outgoing SPL Tom McGreal - and ASPLs Matt Palmadessa and Will Simone - for their leadership through it all.

Lastly, congrats to the Banana Patrol on winning prizes for the most SM Points and to next year's Senior Patrol Leader Will Simone and ASPLs Devin O'Brien and Jay Wiebe on taking the reins.

Let's all recharge this summer because next year will be even better!

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

February 6, 2016

What a wonderful Annual Dinner and Court of Honor last night!

My sincerest compliments to dinner Co-Chairs Robin Lippet and Mary Kerry O'Brien and all those who helped make our Annual Troop Dinner so special. The hall was beautifully decorated, the food was delicious and spirits were high. And thanks to everyone for joining the festivities and sharing in our Troop pride.

BULLY! to our 5 new Scouts for coming aboard, all those who earned ranks, merit badges and Order of the Arrow membership and to Peter G. on his Medal of Merit.

And, of course, best wishes to our Honorees Diane Boyadjian & Liz Tomaselli for doing so much, for so many, for so long. We will truly miss you.

Troop 71 is so fortunate to have such great Scouts, supportive families and dedicated leaders. See you soon.

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

June 11, 2015

What a great Troop we are!

Tonight Troop 71 wrapped up an outstanding Scout season that included trips exploring an old abandoned iron mine in Harriman State Park, honing winter survival skills at Dippikill Wilderness Retreat, skiing Mt. Snow, visiting Gettysburg National Park, exhilarating ice climbing in the Catskills and exciting whitewater rafting, as well as busy weekly Troop meetings working on skills and ranks, competing between Patrols, holding an Interfaith Worship Service and the first ever Jeopardy-style game show BULLY!.

We also have so much to be proud of this year, having organized a blood drive and beach clean up as well as having one Scout win a veteran essay contest, another earn a Medal of Merit for heroism, three attend American Legion's Boys State this summer, and three ascend to the coveted rank of Eagle.

But, there's plenty ahead as we gear up for an Eagle Court of Honor, summer camp at Yawgoog Scout Reservation and Camp Aquehonga for merit badges and fun, and to set sail on our first Sea Base High Adventure trip exploring St. Thomas.

Many thanks to our awesome Scouts, dedicated leaders and supporting parents for a wonderful year. And BULLY! to our outgoing SPL Jack Shelley - and ASPLs Matt Palmadessa and Calvin Bernic - for their leadership through it all. Let's all recharge this summer because next year will be even better!

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

February 2, 2015

Although I could not be there, all weekend I have heard only wonderful things about the annual dinner and enjoyed looking at all the photos.

Many thanks to our MC Chairman Bob Bossé and Dinner Chair Diane and her assistants Renee, Liz and Stella for organizing such a meaningful event and creating a festive environment. I heard the food was delicious, the Scouts were excellent, the messages were inspiring and everyone had a great time breaking bread together as one Troop family. Thanks to all for joining the festivities and "Circling Up" for Paul Savage's closing Scout prayer.

"BULLY!" to all the Scouts who earned ranks, merit badges and Order of the Arrow membership. And, of course, best wishes to our Honoree Kevin Watson on his well-deserved Outstanding Service Award for all those dedicated years as Committee Chair.

As I always say, Troop 71 is so fortunate to have such great Scouts, supportive families and dedicated leaders. See you soon.

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

August 18, 2014

WOW! What a summer for Troop 71 -- loaded with fun, excitement, adventures and milestones!

After we graduated four new Eagles, over 50 Scouts enjoyed a week at Camp Yawgoog; then five Scouts attended a week at Onteora Scout Reservation, where three were inducted into the Order of Arrow upon completing the Ordeal; then fifteen more Scouts spent another week at Camp Aquehonga - all in all earning almost 250 merit badges! But wait: just last week we added another Eagle Scout and our High Adventure crew trekked to the 12,441-ft summit of Mount Baldy, the highest peak at Philmont Scout Ranch in NM.

All this was packed into just two months!

And there's more ahead! We expect the upcoming Scout year to be even more exciting than ever as we try out new themes, expand our activities, visit new places, focus on skills training for our new Scouts, install new leadership opportunities for mid-level Scouts, launch a Venture patrol for our older Scouts and participate in High Adventure opportunities like Sea Base and Northern Tier -- something for everyone!

I take this opportunity to sincerely thank our team of fearless adult leaders for their continued time, energy and dedication. Without their commitment to our Scouts, none of this would be possible. And, I remain grateful for the support our Scout parents and privileged to lead such a fine Troop.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

June 22, 2014

BULLY!

What a wonderful Court of Honor! Thank you to everyone who contributed to making it a perfect event -- and on such a beautiful day too!

Nothing happens in Scouting without the collective generosity of time and attention from many people. Yesterday it showed. The Scouts looked sharp and were attentive, the ceremony was touching and meaningful and the reception was delicious and enjoyable (and how lucky were we to use the PFD's monstrous, shady tent!).

Congratulations again to James, Chris, AJ & Kevin - and parents - for earning Eagle. We wish you all the best and know you will serve your rank well. And remember there's always a place for you in Troop 71 when you're ready to give back to help other Scouts aspiring to reach your goals.

Looking forward to recharging this summer!

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

May 20, 2014

All:

As you know, Boy Scouts marching in the Memorial Day Parade is an important activity in our community and an opportunity for Scouts to proudly display their accomplishments.

The relationship between the American Legion (Parade Sponsor) and the Boy Scouts of America goes back 100 years. The Plandome Village Associate has sponsored Troop 71 for 91 years and Manhasset Legionnaires are our friends and neighbors. Both count on our support. As we honor those who served, and those who died, Scouts will gain an increased sense of the sacrifices that have been made, and continue to be made, to preserve our freedom.

Please join us this Memorial Day, Monday, May 26th, when Troop 71 marches in two parades. It would be especially nice if our four newest Eagle Scouts joined us to lead the Troop.

Plandome Parade: meet at the Plandome Village Hall at 7:30 am to line up for the parade, followed immediately by bagels/coffee outside the O'Brien residence at 2 Heights Rd (between Brookside Drive and Plandome Court - walking distance).

The parade ends at Manhasset High School for a short indoor air-conditioned ceremony. After the ceremony, Troop 71 Scouts will join Troop 97 Scouts in laying a memorial wreath at the monument adjacent to Memorial Field. Scouts may be picked up at Memorial Field after the wreath service.

Scouts are invited back to the annual BBQ at the Plandome Fire House.

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

February 3, 2014

My sincerest compliments to Dinner Chair Diane Boyadjian and all those who helped make our Annual Troop Dinner so special. And thanks to everyone for joining the festivities and "Circling Up" for Paul Savage's wonderful closing Scout prayer.

Congrats to our newest Scouts for coming aboard and those who earned ranks, merit badges and Order of the Arrow membership.

And, of course, best wishes to our Honoree George Cox for his outstanding service as Scoutmaster for "one hour a week". But, we will hold him to his promise of sticking around as Assistant SM!

Troop 71 is so fortunate to have such great Scouts, supportive families and dedicated leaders. See you soon.

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

January 13, 2014

What a great time the Scouts and parents had at (the newly renovated) Greenkill! Despite the damp weather, the boys enjoyed indoor basketball, dodgeball and rock climbing, not to mention video games and chair jousting!

Thanks to Mr. Maass for organizing the event, Senior Patrol Leader Jimmy R. for keeping Scouts and activities running, Chef Alfred P. - and his sous chefs Andrew P. and Alexander B. - for the outstanding feast of chicken & sausage jambalaya and venison, antelope and beef stews, Jack R. for the sweet apple spice and peach dump cakes and all those who participated in the solemn flag retirement ceremony.

A resounding "Bully!" to all!

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

December 22, 2013

All:

Our next Court of Honor is January 31, 2014 as part of our Annual Troop Dinner, where I expect many Scouts to receive merit badges and "rank up".

As you know, this event requires Class A uniforms with sashes. To insure that all uniforms are complete and current in time for the Court of Honor, at our January Troop meetings we will be performing uniform inspections.

During the inspection we will advise the Scouts of any deficiencies in their uniform that need correcting. The most common of these are the lack of, or incorrect, rank patches, shoulder epaulets and unit designations. Sashes should also be up to date with merit badges. For "uniformity" and to keep with T71 tradition, neckerchiefs are to be worn over, not under, the shirt collar.

Rank advancement Scoutmaster conferences and Boards of Review will be held at the January 23rd Troop meeting. Full Class A uniforms are required for these conferences/reviews. NO EXCEPTIONS. This will likely be the last opportunity to finalize rank advancements in time for the Court of Honor, so "be prepared" with complete uniforms.

Information on what constitutes a proper uniform and where missing items can be purchased is available on our website's "Uniforms, Books & Gear" page.

I am alerting everyone to this now so uniforms can be addressed over the holiday break before inspections start (hint hint). Perhaps in this way inspections will be quick and all Scouts will pass with flying colors on the first go around.

Thanks very much. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

November 24, 2013

Dear All:

Just a quick email to let you know I have officially taken over the reigns as Scoutmaster of Troop 71. I consider it an honor and a privilege to lead such a great group of Scouts and I look forward to working with our adult and Scout leaders on the continued delivery of a robust and exciting program. (And if I can be half the Scoutmaster George was, we'll be in good shape!)

My contact information, including home and cell numbers, is on the website here, along with our other leaders. Simply click a name to email. If we've never met, please feel free to introduce yourself to me at a Troop meeting.

Going forward, please use this email address to reach me for Troop-related issues. Many of you have other email addresses for me, but for organizational purposes I'd like to steer emails here.

Lastly, please frequent our website (www.plandometroop71.com), especially the What's Up page, as it is regularly updated with information for Scouts and parents, and enjoy our Facebook page.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Yours In Scouting,

Chris Simone

Scoutmaster

November 4, 2013

Dear All,

It's been a wonderful experience being scoutmaster and I really appreciate all your help and support.

However, both of my children are approaching college age and are involved in numerous activities, so it behooves me to take a step back.

As many of you already know, Mr. Simone will be our new scoutmaster. He will taking over this December.

Mr. Simone has already made tremendous contributions to our troop. He has been our adult leader at TMR's Camp Aquehonga, has created our facebook page, and wonderfully recreated our website. Troop 71 is in very capable hands going forward, and I am looking forward to serving as an assistant scoutmaster.

Last Month I had the pleasure of attending the Marching Bands competition at Manhasset High School. Many of our Scouts who were in the Manhasset Marching Band and are now attending their first year of college were there and came over to talk to me. They were so excited about their lives and new experiences at college, what fine young men they have become. Of course, this is not surprising, scouting has been successfully taking boys and help shaping them into fine young men for over a 100 years. What is surprising is the wonderful friendships I have made with, not only these young men, but with other scouts, adult leaders and parents as well.

Plandome Boy Scout Troop 71 is a very special place. Thank You for letting me serve as your scoutmaster!

Yours in Scouting,

George

August 31, 2013

Dear All,

What a terrific Summer for Troop 71; two Summer Camps and the High Adventure Trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I would like to thank you for your support in making this such a successful summer.